Portable electronic devices, such as two-way radio transceivers, typically include a frame or chassis to which internal electrical and mechanical components are mounted. The chassis is typically enclosed in a housing to protect the integrity of these internal components. An important factor in the manufacturing of these electronic devices involves the physical assembly of the device chassis to the device housing. Many prior art devices rely on mechanical fasteners such as screws or clips, to retain the chassis to the housing. These fastening techniques have a number of disadvantages. For example, the assembly of a prior art device may require special tools, such as screwdrivers or the like, and may require considerable time and effort for assembly. Thus, with many prior art assembly techniques, substantial amounts of resources are consumed during the manufacture of these devices. Occasionally, these devices must be disassembled to facilitate analysis and repairs. Consequently, a similar arduous process is needed for removing the chassis from the housing in order to gain access to the internal components of the device. Therefore, there are many problems associated with assembly and disassembly of prior art electronic devices.
There is a constant demand for improving manufacturing cycle time and reducing manufacturing costs in order to remain competitive in the electronics industry. Prior art electronic device design requiring mechanical fasteners for assembly incur manufacturing costs, including component costs, piece part handling costs, inventory costs, and the like. Moreover, valuable manufacturing cycle time is consumed when these prior art assembling techniques are used. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a new electronic device assembly with designed features which facilitate assembly and disassembly.